Galaxy Diner

If we had reviewed the Galaxy prior to our most recent visit, it would have been a semi-slavishly glowing review, trumpeting the virtues of diner fare and comfort food in an accessible Carytown location with a hip, spacey astro-decor and a designated smoking area.

As it is, let me say right up front that the Galaxy will always be on our restaurant rotation: the whole gay family likes it. Mom and Mom-Whether-She-Likes-It-Or-Not can drink and smoke and hold hands, while the kids bitch us out about our smoking, over their brownie sundaes and french fries. We can eat breakfast anytime there, and the food never fails to soak up any amount of alcohol left in our systems from the night before.

That said, last week all four of us wandered in, two of us with fairly wicked hangovers. The Galaxy has a decent bar, and makes a good Bloody Mary, so a little hair of the dog was in order. For the record, they also have Martinis and make a hefty and homemade milkshake or Limeade for those who don't want alcohol.

We don't usually go for appetizers there- the entree plates are big enough for us. The apps are tending towards fried- which the Galaxy does extremely well, whether you want your pickles, oreos, twinkies or green tomatoes done that way.

We wanted to get something in our stomachs quickly though, so as K and I were sitting propped up against each other, trying to stay upright, we decided that the Tomato Basil soup special sounded like a good idea. What could be more soothing than soup? Well, what came to the table, was not exactly soup. Two small bowls of what looked like Marinara sauce arrived. I poked suspiciously at mine with my spoon, and always up for adventure, I took a taste. Notice I don't say "sip." It was not of a consistency conducive to sipping.... Definitely marinara sauce soup. I made an unspoken decision, that if I ate that in my current state, it would end up all over the table. I noticed K had quietly pushed her bowl aside as well.

I ordered the Chicken Salad melt. Usually this is a delightfully cheesy sandwich, crispy on the outside with generous chunks of chicken. There was something kind of runny and soggy about it this visit, but I ate more than half anyway. I eyed K's grilled cheese enviously. Hers looked, and evidently tasted, better than mine.

The Boy ordered the kids' Chicken Tenders. He gets them with the fries and mac and cheese and they look good and are always eaten. Enough said. I will point out that the fries here are usually divine, and only surpassed by the 'frites' at Capitol Ale House. They are ripple cut, perfectly cooked, and generous in portion. The mac and cheese is not quite up to snuff though- it has that artificial cheese and packaged pasta vibe.

The Girl had an Aloha Chicken Sandwich- chicken breast with Swiss and Pineapple. It also disappeared in good order.

Because I feel like I need to say something nice about the Galaxy, I will mention the burgers. I am not a big burger eater, but when I decide I want one, I will usually go to the Galaxy to get it. They have a variety of specialty burgers, with toppings ranging from avocado, to carmelized onions, fried green tomatoes or a variety of cheese choices. The patty is large and juicy, and the buns there are quite good.

While I'm being nice, I'll mention that the Brownie Sundae is sublime. One of the best brownies I've tasted. the kids also like some Chocolate Chip Cookie and ice cream concoction that I've stolen tastes of as well, and is also quite wonderful. I need to kvetch about the Berry Cobbler though. If you don't have it, take it off the menu. If I come in and order something once, and it's not available, I'm a little disappointed. If I order it 3-4 times and it's not available, now I'm irritated.

All in all though, this visit was an exception to the usual. And for the most part, anything 'bad' here is not really horrible. Except that soup, which I don't know if I'll ever get over. Whether for Martinis, or omlets, or any sort of fried fabulousness our hearts desire, we'll be back.

Galaxy Diner
3109 W. Cary St
804-213-0510